Letter to Mrs. Clinton

After reading your book, I feel amicable about my personal childhood. I was teased in school because I was different. I suffer from an awful malady, a cleft lip. I was left out of activities and friendships because the other children would scrutinize my appearance. However, when I was at home, with my loving family, I felt accepted. Today, I am comfortable having a cleft lip and being the person I am. My “village” has helped me through the journey. It started when I was an infant and has continued supporting me up into adulthood. I want to share with you an important person in my life. My brother, Tom, is my best friend. Growing up he was the vexatious brother. He would put frogs in my hair, take my dolls, and get me in trouble. I have not realized it until recently; those times were highlights in my childhood. He never teased me about my condition or teased me because I talked ineffectually. Now that I am an adult and had surgery on my lip, I am proud of who I am. I do not fear meeting new people. In fact, I have contacted the Collaboration for Craniofacial Development Disorders, CCDD, and I am going to become an advocate for cleft lip surgery. It has positive effects and I am loathed to discourage the procedure. In December I am going to be soliciting for the organization at our local mall! Thanks to your book, I have learned that it doesn’t matter how bad and nefarious my childhood was. What matters is that the people around me love me and thanks to them. I have been shaped into this wonderful person because of the caring people that surround me. Thank you for reading my letter. You have helped in more ways than one.

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